A Knight for Pluto
by Richforce
Summary: A co-write with Katrina Kadabra; Haruka and Michiru are marrying their knights and Setsuna is worried that as the guardian of time love has no place in her life. Can she find the one meant for her?
1. Chapter 1

Disclamer: This is a co-write between me and Katrina Kadabra and neither of us owns Salior Moon. I don't ownKatrina's characters, she doesn't own mine and we're cool with that.

Rating: PG

Note: You may want to read Katrina's Night for Uranus and Knight for Neptune before this you can find both fictions on this site

* * *

Setsuna walked down the street after getting some more material for a very special project. Haruka and Michiru were going to have a double wedding to Taylor and Nathan; and since she was the closest seamstress they knew they asked her to make the wedding dresses. She was honored of course, even though she never made a wedding dress before. It was hard work but they were almost ready. She was so excited about finishing that she wasn't looking where she was going and ran into someone. 

"Oh, I'm sorry!" she looked up to see a young man with rust red hair and forest green eyes.

"No it's my fault." He said. He then looked at his watch. "Whoa look at the time; I'm late for an appointment nice meeting you!"

"Nice meeting you." Setsuna said to him. She couldn't help but stare at him until he disappeared into the crowd. "That was stupid of you." she said to herself. "You let him go without even asking his name and you probably won't ever see him again."

* * *

That evening, Haruka and Michiru sat musing over the final plans for the bridal party. 

"Okay, so who do we ask to be our maid of honor?" Michiru inquired, tapping her pen on the pad of paper.

"Usagi," Haruka answered with an "obviously" kind of flare to her voice. Michiru looked hesitant.

"I was thinking Setsuna," she said.

"But Usagi is our princess."

"This isn't a coronation - it's a wedding. And we've known Setsuna longer," Michiru pointed out. Haruka shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, correct me if I'm wrong, Mamoru is our best man right."

"Well, yes."

"And the best man escorts the maid of honor right?"

"Usagi's not going to care if Mamoru escorts Setsuna. She and the king are very close friends."

Haruka smiled mischievously. "Thought this was a wedding, not a coronation," she said. Michiru's face turned red, either for embarrassment at getting caught in her own comment, or irritation at Haruka for not letting her have her way like she usually did. In either case, it was a feeling short-lived as she sighed and turned her attention back to the list in front of her.

"Well, we could always have two separate wedding parties," she suggested.

"Oh right, and then who's going to be my best man?"

"You could always ask Seiya."

"I could always commit suicide the night before my own wedding."

Michiru sighed. It seemed to her there was only one logical way to settle the matter. She held out her fist. Haruka glanced at it and rolled her eyes.

"I'm not going to rock-paper-scissors to decide who our maid of honor is," she said.

"You have a better suggestion?" Michiru asked. Haruka pondered that for a moment and realized that in fact, she did not. Reluctantly, she put out her fist to meet Michiru's.

"Jan Ken Po." The two girl's hands shot out. Haruka smiled triumphantly at the outcome.

"Usagi it is then," she said, taking the pad of paper away from Michiru and scribbling the girl's name down. Michiru rolled her eyes.

"Well, better put Setsuna in the front right after her," she said. "And by the way, who are you going to get to escort Setsuna?"

"Hm... One of the guys on my racing crew is pretty cool. I actually had him on the guest list, but maybe he'd be better suited on the bridal party."

"Which one is he?"

"Hallen."

Michiru thought back for a moment. Hallen... if she remembered correctly, he was the dashing redhead on Haruka's team who was the only one who rivaled her in both spirit and competition. She thought he was rather cute when they first met.

"He might work," she said. Haruka nodded and wrote the name down. Six bride's maids and six ushers - this was going to be quite the wedding.

"Obviously Chibiusa will be our flower girl," she said, continuing to write.

"What about Hotaru?" Michiru asked. Haruka thought for a moment and wrote in an addendum.

"Obviously Chibiusa _and_ Hotaru will be our flower girls," she said.

* * *

At about the same time Setsuna was looking at the wedding dresses she made for Haruka and Michiru. For Haruka she made a dress with a skirt part long enough to reach the floor and somewhat narrow, a bodice resembling a vest with small silk buttons going down a line in the front, almost bubble like shoulders and long gloves that went right to the shoulders. The veil was connected to a large gold tiara, almost like a crown. 

Michiru's dress was more flowing and had a bodice with a number of silk buttons and spaghetti straps connected to transparent sleeves up to the wrists. The veil was connected to three large white silk roses.

Setsuna then decided to slump down in a chair, she had spent almost every waking moment working on them but now Taylor and Nathan would see their brides in Setsuna Meioh originals. She thought to herself about the wedding, no doubt she would be asked to be a bridesmaid. "I can't believe I've stayed this long." She said to herself. "I know it's mostly for Hotaru but I also must guard the time gates." She shook her head. "I probably have my own knight out there but with duty at the gates how can I have a love life? Maybe it's hopeless…No I can't think like that. If I do fall in love there must be a way to make it work.

Just then, there was a light knock at the door. It opened and Hotaru walked slowly into the room, gazing around at all of Setsuna's work.

"Is something wrong?" Setsuna asked, noting the solemn look in the girl's eyes.

"No," Hotaru replied. "Just looking." She walked up to Setsuna and stared deeply into her adoptive mother's eyes. Although Haruka and Michiru were also family to her, she more thought of them as older siblings than parents. Michiru was always in charge of the meals, and Haruka was somehow blessed with the job of diapering Hotaru in her younger years and being the one to come down hard when everyone else was too soft to enforce discipline. But Setsuna... she had taught her everything she knew. Stayed up countless nights reading her poetry and telling her about the cosmos and all its vast array. She was a source of endless knowledge in the young girl's eyes as she grew up. And yet, somehow, she also sensed the greatest burden from her.

"Setsuna?" Hotaru asked curiously. Setsuna rubbed her sleep-ridden eyes and turned to the black-haired girl.

"Yes, Hotaru-chan?"

"Are Michiru and Haruka gonna move away from us when they get married?"

Setsuna sighed. This wasn't a topic she was looking forward to discussing. Granted that the two outer senshi tended to be away more often than herself, Haruka with her races and Michiru with her concert tours. But they still were an energetic presence in the household; the thought of them leaving was a lonely one.

"I don't know, sweetie," she admitted. "But even if they do, I'm sure they will visit often."

"Are they going to have other kids besides me?" Hotaru pressed.

Setsuna had to think that one over. "It's always a possibility," she said. Then, upon rethinking the matter she added on, "For Michiru anyway." Somehow Haruka being a mother didn't click.

Just then the door opened up, this time without a knock as Haruka and Michiru entered.

"Thought we might find you here," Haruka said happily. Setsuna quickly set her work aside; she wanted the final product to be a surprise for both of them. Seeing it ahead of time would ruin the fun.

"Do you need something?" she asked.

"Actually," Michiru said, glancing at Haruka. "We came to ask if you would be a bridesmaid at our wedding."

Setsuna smiled at the request. She had expected to be in the wedding party, but hearing it anyway was rewarding.

"You'll be next to the maid of honor," Michiru went on, still feeling bad about giving the place to Usagi instead of Setsuna.

"You'll be escorted by Hallen," Haruka added. "Do you remember him?" Setsuna shook her head.

"The guy from my racing team?" Haruka prodded. "Green eyes? Red Hair? Quiet but nice? Sound familiar?" Setsuna shook her head again. Michiru sighed and opened up the photo album to the group shot of Haruka and her crew, taken at their victory celebration after the championship race. Setsuna stared long and hard at the young man that Michiru had pointed out. He looked vaguely familiar somehow... my gosh, could he be the same one she bumped into at the fabric store? Setsuna shook her head. My, my, it's a small world after all, she thought to herself.


	2. Chapter 2

In a dark chamber a figure with crimson eyes and surrounded by a black cape spoke. "Sailor Pewter Fox! Sailor Titanium Kerokero!"

First came in a woman with purple hair and cold blue eyes wearing a grey sailor uniform that was covered with fur in places and a skullcap with large grey ears and a sun-like emblem on the forehead. "Pewter Fox here!" She was a crafty, manipulative woman.

Next a woman with bright green hair done up in two bun on either side and dark green eyes wearing a green that outfit that had a front that somewhat resembled the face of a frog. "Titanium Kerokero reporting for duty!" She was a tough girl who was always spoiling for a fight.

They both crossed their arms which had the Chaos Bracelets worn by the Sailor Animates. "We are ready to serve you Viscount Orichalcum."

Orichalcum turned to a star map. "Of Galaxia's empire we're all that's left, but now we have a chance to get it all back and build it better than before. First we must go to the earth and take the starseeds of our enemies."

"But if Sailor Moon was able to defeat Chaos…" Titanium Kerokero said.

"Don't you think I know that?" Orichalcum said. "When you, like the other animates, betrayed your homeworlds for their senshi's starseeds Galaxia put you under my authority therefore you must do what I say! We must move slowly and silently, we'll first get the Starseeds of the Sailor Knights they should be weaker then the Senshi but their starseeds will strengthen us."

"So which Knight do we go after first?" asked Pewter Fox.

"The Knight of Pluto; he hasn't awakened, yet his time is soon. That should make the starseed relatively easy to obtain but though we must look for it."

"I can find him." said Pewter Fox. "And even if they're falling in love, that's something I can fix!"

"By flirting?" said Titanium Kerokero.

"By using my feminine charm!"

"I don't care how you do it, just do it!"

Pewter Fox left for earth and Titanium Kerokero went to another part of their ship.

Orichalcum then started musing. "I must be ready for when their usefulness has expired. Then the starseeds of Kitsune and Tadpole can join the starseeds of Chuu, Mermaid, Coronis, Mau and Cocoon in my collection!" He opened his cape to show him wearing a gold colored outfit and he was holding five starseeds on a chain. "Huhahahahahahahahahaha!"

* * *

The two Anima-mates set up their headquarters at the reception hall where the wedding dinner was to be held for Haruka and Michiru. It was a convenient spot, easy enough to take over. The humans were easy targets to eliminate once their Star Seeds were taken. Granted this had left a few Phages running loose around the city, but who were they to be bothered by it?

"This stinks" Kerokero sighed. "It's not fair, Pewter! Why do you get to have all the fun?"

"You know your job already" Pewter Fox snapped. "And call me Kitsune when we're on earth."

Kerokero rolled her eyes. "Fine. Kitsune then. So what exactly are you going to be up to while I'm doing my part"

"Making sure the Pluto knight doesn't get interested in the princess of course."

Just then, a small bell rang, indicating someone had entered the shop. A woman with deep green hair.

"The Pluto princess" Kerokero whispered. Kitsune elbowed her in the side.

"Welcome! Welcome" she said pleasantly. "How may I help you"

"Um" Setsuna looked suspiciously at the employee. This was not anyone she remembered seeing working here before. Perhaps she had just started.

"Pardon me, but are you new here" she asked. Kitsune looked off-guard.

"Why yes, actually, I'm the new manager."

"New manager" Setsuna questioned. "But I was sure Mr. Konno was the manager. He's the one we booked our reception with."

"Don't worry, I'll be happy to take care of anything you need" Kitsune said with a smile. "Last name"

"Meioh" Setsuna said hesitantly. "I'm in the wedding party for Miss Kaiou and Miss Tenou."

At this, Kitsune pulled a massive binder off the shelf and began to flip through the records to find the reservation. As she was looking, the doorbell went off again. Only this time, it was a young man with red hair who entered.

"Hallen" Setsuna said pleasantly.

"Great" Kitsune muttered under her breath. For keeping the two of them apart, she was doing a lousy job so far. Then again she knew that with her cunning she can turn any situation her way.

"Hey it's you. From the other day, how did you know my name?"

"I'm part of the Wedding Party; actually we're supposed to be opposite each other."

Kitsune didn't like where this was going and if she messed up Orichalcum would have her hide, not to mention Kerokero would never let her live it down. "And how may I help you?" she said aloud in her most seductive voice.

"Well Uh… My name's Hallen Wantanabe, I'm with the Kaiou and Tenou wedding party."

"I'll look you up as well." she said in the same seductive voice still flipping through the book.

"To be honest I was hoping to see you again." Hallen said to Setsuna. "I guess we'll be seeing a lot off each other in the next few weeks."

"I'd like to get to know you better." Setsuna said.

"Well, if you're not doing anything tomorrow night I was going to go bowling with a few of the guys. Would you like to come?"

Setsuna had a hesitant look. "I've never bowled before."

"It's easy I can teach you."

"Wow!" Kitsune said suddenly. "I'm totally into bowling, mind if I come?"

They were both a bit surprised. "Uh, if you want."

"Kitsune you never…" Kerokero didn't get to finish her sentence as Kitsune stepped on her foot.

"Uh, Ribbita why don't you check the supply room?"

"Ribbita?" Kerokero whispered while grimacing.

"Now, while I find these two."

As Ribbita went to the back Haruka, Michiru, Taylor and Nathan came in. "We're here for a wedding rehearsal." said Michiru. "Kaiou and Tenou."

"Ah, I just found your group." Kitsune realized a plan get Setsuna and Hallen apart all she had to do was… Then she realized the registry names were written in ink. "Darn!" she whispered.

"Uh excuse me but where is Mr. Konno?" asked Haruka.

"He and the previous staff are pursuing new opportunities. But don't worry Ribbita and I, Kitsune, can handle all your needs to make that special day even more special."

Ribbita came out. "Everything checks out."

"So I guess we'll begin when the rest of your party arrives." Kitsune said. "Although you still haven't chosen a Ring Barer."

"I have a nephew who'll be our Ring Barer." said Nathan. "But he won't be here from Okinawa until the week of the wedding."

Then we just have to wait for the Flower girls, Bridesmaids and Groomsmen.

Haruka sat down in the corner. This whole thing sounded rather suspicious to her. Then again, she was hardly one to talk about weddings. Setsuna noticed her friend's anxiety and frankly didn't blame her for it, but with the wedding a mere few weeks away, there was hardly time to change their minds.

"So" said Hallen, looking around the room as he waited for a topic of conversation. "I hear you're making the dresses for this occasion, am I right?"

To this, Setsuna blushed. "Well, the bridal gowns, yes. We bought the bridesmaid's dresses."

"You don't say" Kitsune interrupted again. "Well, then, shouldn't you stay home and work on them rather than go bowling with us?"

Hallen scowled. Taking over the wedding hall was one thing, but interrupting like that was enough for him. "Excuse me" he said. "But I don't recall inviting you in the first place."

A sweatdrop the size of Japan dripped down the back of Kitsune's neck. "I beg your pardon" she said, trying to be as polite as possible but still not being able to resist a bit of sarcasm. "I didn't realize it was a date."

At the word "date" Setsuna felt all the red rush to her face. This had suddenly jumped from getting to know Hallen to a date with him? It wasn't like her at all. She was strict, serious, precise, and did not rush into things like that. Then again, the situation was hardly giving her an option.

"Well... I, um..." Hallen stuttered, realizing how big a mistake he'd made. "Well, if Setsuna wants it to be, then it is." he finally finished. Before Setsuna had the chance to reply, a car horn could be heard outside. It looked like Mamoru had the privilege of driving the rest of the wedding party over.

It was Ribbita's turn to sweat drop when she saw Chibiusa and Hotaru. "I hate kids." she was muttering to herself over and over.

"It's not fair" Chibiusa was whining. "Hotaru and I are too old to be flower girls."

"Stop it" said Hotaru. "It's Michiru and Haruka's wedding, so they decide who's what."

"Besides" Minako muttered from the backseat. "If we had to fit anymore people in this wedding party, we wouldn't survive the trip here."


	3. Chapter 3

Ribbita was playing the wedding march as the bridesmaids and groomsmen walked down the aisle. The rehearsal started several hours ago but things were going slowly when it came to the part when the party was supposed to make their way to the altar.

"And step, two, three. Step, two, three…" Kitsune was saying to set a tempo. Usagi then slipped and knocked the other bridesmaids down in a domino effect. "No, no, no! Stop the music!"

"I'm sorry!" said Usagi.

Rei sighed and looked to Michiru. "This wouldn't be happening if you two were having a traditional Japanese wedding."

Michiru sighed. "I know this your first time in a western style ceremony but please do it for us?"

"I'm sorry; it's just that ever since I was a little girl I always dreamed of having a traditional Japanese wedding."

"Well it will come true, if you keep wishing for It." said Yuuichirou. At this, Rei's face turned bright red but she did not say anything. Even if she and Yuuichirou were discussing certain possibilities, she still wasn't quite prepared to talk about it in front of the girls. Luckily, the comment seemed to go unnoticed.

Kitsune sighed. "What say we all call it a day? We can pick this up later."

Setsuna was walking out the door when Hallen stopped her. "So is it a date?" he asked nervously.

Setsuna started to blush. "Well, um… I guess if you're going with friends then I can go so the two of us can get to know each other." She then started thinking. _What's going on with me? I never rush into things like this; I always look into the situation first, carefully weigh my options and then choose a course of action. Why am I acting so spontaneously?_

"Ok, here's the address." He said giving her a note. "I'll see you there."

"I'm looking forward to it." Setsuna said. As she walked out the door she felt her heart beat a little faster.

Kitsune had watched the exchange and gave a sinister smile; an ability she had that proved useful to her was a photographic memory. She saw the note and memorized the address. "Hard to believe that klutz actually defeated Chaos" said Titanium Kerokero as she reverted to her Sailor form.

"I don't doubt it." said Kitsune. "What better way to lull your foes into a false sense of security than to make them think you're a clumsy, idiotic fool."

"Whatever, so now what?"

"Now I'm going bowling, you should contact Viscount Orichalcum for instructions."

"Why are you even bothering getting that guy to fall for you? Why don't we just take his starseed?"

"Because if we do that the Pluto princess will feel it and that will alert the others. This way by the time they notice what's happening Viscount Orichalcum will have enough starseeds to overpower them."

* * *

The bowling alley was loud and bustling when Setsuna arrived. Music pulsed through the speakers, giving all the players a certain rhythm to their movements at they picked up their balls and readied them for aim. It was good to see a friendly social atmosphere was still alive and well somewhere in town, Setsuna nodded. The thought occurred to her afterwards that it was the first time since she arrived in this age that she had done anything remotely sociable at all. Michiru and Haruka noticed it too; they would not stop teasing her as she left.

_It's just for fun, just to get to know him,_ she reminded herself. _Since he's escorting me and all. Look at me; I'm turning into a high schooler._

"Hey there, Setsuna!" a familiar voice finally called. Setsuna almost jumped a mile.

"Hallen!" she replied as she saw him walk in through the doors. He made a polite bow to her as he removed his coat.

"Sorry if I made you wait."

"Oh now, that's okay, I actually got here a bit early," Setsuna replied. "I, um... I like being punctual." With this, she turned and began heading over to one of the lanes, until she realized that she had not a clue what she was doing. Hallen, however, seemed to sense her embarrassment, and walked up to the front desk, motioning her over. "We'll book a lane first, and then we'll get our shoes," he said. Setsuna nodded. This could be a very pleasant evening. Except for...

"Hi there!" a certain annoying voice called out. "You guys weren't planning to start without me, were you?"

"Um, Kitsune." Setsuna said. "I didn't expect you here." She didn't know why Kitsune was bothering her, she just knew she that she was obviously interested in Hallen and for some reason that made her tense up.

"Ok, I'm sorry if seemed just a overbearing earlier, I'm just here to have fun tonight that's all." _Saps._ She thought. _I don't know why I didn't think of this before, first I have to get the princess to lose interest in him then I can get him to notice me. But what to do it with?_

"I invited a friend to join us." said Hallen. "Hey there he is right…" then he sweatdropped as he saw someone come in with his friend Scott, a young man with glasses and a moustache. "Oh no."

"Hey Hallen!" said a bald fat man. "I see you got two broods to join us, sweet!"

"Hey Phil." Hallen knew Phil mostly through Scott because they lived next door to each other. Phil was a chauvinistic jerk who spent most of his time mooching of other people, including him.

"Sorry Hallen." said Scott. "He heard I was bowling tonight and he wouldn't take no for an answer."

_Perfect. _Thought Kitsune. _I all have to do is get her to think that he's the same as this pig and she'll drop him like a bad habit. All I have to do find a way to make being with Phil more bearable. Maybe if I imagine his face with my fist buried in it, much better. _

Hallen then turned to Setsuna and Kitsune. "Let me apologize in advance for anything he may say or do."

Setsuna always tried not to judge a book by its cover but she had a gut feeling that between Kitsune and Phil her first game of bowling would be the longest event in her life, and after standing watch at the gates for centuries that was saying something.

* * *

They all got a lane and shoes and started the game; Hallen eased Setsuna into the game and she was ok for a beginner. Hallen and Scott were playing good enough and Kitsune was bowling unusually well, but Phil was on fire and he was shoving it in everyone's faces. "Gobble, gobble, gobble; It's a turkey! Ha-ha!"

"You can tell a lot about a guy from the company he keeps." Kitsune said to Setsuna. "I'm having second thoughts about Hallen."

"He didn't ask him to come." Setsuna said. "I'm just trying to enjoy myself and I'm not going to let Phil ruin it for me." She then saw it was her turn. "Excuse me."

She stepped up she stepped up to the line. "How about we give her some encouragement?" said Hallen.

"I got some." said Phil. "That's a nice-looking butt you've got there!"

Setsuna blushed furiously, she was still angry when she threw the ball and it knocked down only one pin when it went in the gutter. "No problem, I'll just do better with the next ball." She said claming down.

"Nice going Phil." said Scott.

"It was a compliment!" Phil then turned to Kitsune. "By the way your breasts are…"

"Keep your hands away from them or you'll be pulling back a stump." Kitsune said in her more natural voice.

As Setsuna went to pick up her ball she saw a cockroach come up from under floorboards next to the ball return, her forehead stared looking blue. She leapt up on the return and started screaming. "Kill it, kill it, KILL IT!"

Hallen quickly came up and crushed the pest under his rented shoe. Setsuna looked around to see that just about everyone in the alley was staring at her. "There you go." said Hallen. "Are you ok?"

Setsuna blushed. "Oh I'm sorry. It's just I've been afraid of roaches for as long as I could remember. I'm sorry that I embarrassed you in front of all these people."

"It's ok; everybody is afraid of something." He helped her down holding her hands.

Setsuna felt an odd tingle as he held her hands. _He cares about me, he really cares about me. What am I thinking about? He stepped on an insect, it's not like he slew a dragon. So why am I making a big deal about it?_

_Drat! _Kitsune thought. _It was starting to work and a stupid bug ruined it all! Oh well, at least I have some ammunition I may use against her._

At that moment she felt Orichalcum calling to her. "Will you excuse me?" she said.

Phil lifted a plastic cup. "While your up, beer me."

Kitsune took the cup and turned it over dropping the ice cubes in it on his head. "Beer yourself!"

She went into a stall in the ladies room and used a crystal to contact Orichalcum. "Pewter Fox, Report." He said.

"My efforts to keep the princess of Pluto and her knight apart have been… less than fruitful."

"Forget about that for now, I need you and Titanium Kerokero to round up those five Phages you two created earlier and get them ready to battle the senshi."

"But, they aren't strong enough to beat them with the knights."

"I don't intend for them to, we're going to return the Phages to normal so we can use their dark energy to use the other animates' starseeds."

"So you plan on using the beast forms they never had the chance to?"

"That and another weapon that will eliminate the need for you to use that wedding hall as a hideout."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll see what I mean; I tell you when to carry out the attack."

"Understood." She said as the link was cut. As she was going out of the stall she saw Setsuna come in and stand in front the mirror. Kitsune stood on the toilet to hide and heard Setsuna talking to herself. "This can't work out; I can't get close to him. If I do and the time comes when I have to go back what do I tell him? 'I'm sorry but I have to break up with you so I can guard a space-time door for all eternity?' That would be awkward."

Kitsune smiled. _She may have just handed me the most powerful weapon to use against her and she doesn't even know it._


	4. Chapter 4

For a while Kitsune pondered about how to go about cornering Setsuna. Ideally, she would've liked to do it right there and then, but then she might be arousing suspicions about herself far too quickly. Although Orichalcum had said they had a plan to defeat the other senshi, even the ones who had found their knights, she was a little wary of jumping into battle so quickly. After all, countless others had come up against the senshi of the solar system prematurely and look how that turned out. Still, Setsuna was in a vulnerable position and it could mean leaving that Phil jerk behind early…

"So sad looking," she sighed, sneaking up behind Setsuna like a shadow. The green-haired woman almost jumped. Apparently she wasn't as alone in here as she thought. "Why the long face?" Kitsune inquired.

"Oh nothing," Setsuna said, gatherings her purse. "I'm just feeling a bit isolated." She was tempted to spill all her feelings, her wish to reach out to Hallen but her great hesitancy that her duty as time guardian would ultimately make a disaster of it. But judging by her conduct so far that evening, Kitsune was not exactly the type she wanted to have it with. Michiru and Haruka were a bit more sympathetic than see was.

"I see," said Kitsune, noting the silence. "Well I suppose isolation is a natural feeling for the Time Guardian. Isn't it, Sailor Pluto?"

Setsuna gasped. Her head jerked up as she started into Kitsune's icy blue eyes. Of course, how could she have been so foolish as to not notice it earlier? This feeling, this aura, it was not native to earth at all. Whoever this Kitsune person was, she had come a long way to get here. And most often in her experience, a long journey was made by a foe, not a friend.

"I don't know how you know that about me," she said, trying to keep her cool. "But if you are an enemy, I warn you now. The guardians of this planet show no mercy to invaders."

"Oh, you don't have to warn me, I know that," said Kitsune with a smile. "But really, Pluto, so judgmental; just assuming I'm an enemy." With that, the girl turned slyly, pulling on a piece of Setsuna's hair as she left. "Just remember this, if you want to protect your planet, you don't have time to get involved with love." And with that, she was gone.

After the game Setsuna got ready to leave, she thanked Hallen for the nice evening and then went back to the apartment. When she opened the door Haruka and Michiru greeted her. "So how was your date?" said Michiru.

"Did Hallen show you a good time?" said Haruka.

"We may have trouble." Setsuna said flatly. "Kitsune was there and I found out she's not from Earth."

"A new enemy?" asked Hotaru.

"I think so, but it's too soon to tell."

"How'd you find out?" said Haruka.

"She told me herself this is something we can't ignore. I'm afraid you two may have to postpone the wedding."

"I should have known from the moment I first laid my eyes on her, Ribbita's probably an alien too."

"I guess we'll have to inform the Inner Senshi first thing in the morning." said Michiru. "The knights as well."

Setsuna then went off to her room. "Are you ok?" Hotaru asked.

"I…Just need to be alone for a while, good night." said Setsuna. When she went into her room she started thinking to herself. _I know she's probably an enemy but she does have a point, now's not the time for romance, not if there's an enemy around. _Looking for something to do, she decided to get out her notebook. She turned through the pages that already had various dress designs in them until she stopped on the first blank page. This was always the first step in making a dress for her, she first drew on paper the idea for a design along with notes on what materials to use, and then she would use colored pencils for a specific color scheme and if then deemed that it good was enough she would make it herself. At first her mind was drawing a blank but then she had an unusual idea, she was going to make an outfit for a man. One idea after another came to her and soon she found herself looking a design that looked somewhat old fashioned and yet it was more beautiful than anything anyone wore now. But the strangest thing was that it seemed vaguely familiar. _Did I see this before? _Even though she was the time guardian and remembered the Silver Millennium as an era, her own memories of time were somewhat vague, as if shrouded in a mist. The first thing Setsuna could remember from her life was finding herself at the gates and then she started to stand guard there on instinct. Every time she decided to look back to find out more about her past the images she got were jumbled in such a way as to make no sense at all. And she couldn't go back and risk meeting herself, so many questions remained unanswered. But now this image was standing clear in her mind as if it was trying to point her to something important but she couldn't tell what it was.

As Setsuna sat quietly in her room musing over the missing pieces of her past, Haruka passed wildly about the house, nearly knocking over everything in her path, including Michiru.

"We should ask Setsuna for more information," she fumed. "Where'd these enemies come from? How do they know about us?"

"Leave her alone," Michiru said. "Can't you see she's upset?"

"_I'm_ upset," Haruka snapped back. "Postponing our wedding because some stupid..." Haruka paused from her characteristic ranting to stare into Michiru's deep ocean blue eyes. "She is upset, isn't she?"

Michiru smiled at the thought that she had managed to bring her friend somewhere into the realm of sanity. "Come on now, don't you remember when you got irritated about not finding your knight?"

As her mind began to wander, Setsuna could not help but overhear her friends' conversation. It wasn't eavesdropping, at least not in the intentional sense. Even when she was trying to be quiet, Haruka's voice still projected across the room rather solidly. "Like you didn't do the same," Haruka was muttering in response to Michiru. Setsuna smiled to herself. In all fairness, they had some of equal amount of frustration in the matter. It was like they had decided on that one snowy evening when Luna was musing over her love for a human. When it came down to it, no one wanted to be alone. Not even the guardian of time. So were Setsuna's last thoughts before she finally drifted off to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The next day they decided to have a Senshi meeting, Haruka was not happy to see who else was there. "Seiya." She said gritting her teeth.

"Haruka." He replied in a similar fashion.

Ami was the first to reply. "We asked the Starlights here because they may know who we're dealing with."

"And unfortunately we do." said Taiki.

"The woman who you told us about is called Kitsune right?" said Yaten. "That's the name of one of the home planets of the Sailor Animates."

"No way!" said Makoto. "We beat them already!"

"Not all of them." Yaten continued. "The Sailor Animates you fought against aren't really the true Senshi of their planets, each of them betrayed their homeworlds and stole the true senshi's starseeds."

"That's right." said Usagi. "Luna didn't you say Tin Nyanko was from Planet Mau like you and Artemis are?"

"Yes, Unfortunately."

"Still weren't they all defeated?" said Urawa.

"No." said Seiya. "In all there were 7 Animates. "Iron Mouse; who took the starseed of Sailor Chuu, Aluminum Siren; who stole Sailor Mermaid's, Lead Crow, who stole Sailor Coronis', Tin Nyanko; who stole Sailor Mau's, Heavy Metal Papillion; who stole Sailor Cocoon's; Pewter Fox, who stole Sailor Kitsune's, and Titanium Kerokero; who stole Sailor Tadpole's."

"Even if we missed two." said Rei. "Galaxia is gone, are they just causing trouble, or someone else is behind them?"

"We have no idea." said Taiki. "Shadow Galactica was a large organization, it's possible that there's someone trying to rebuild it; but it's also possible that someone else is using them to his or her own ends."

"Any disturbances in time Setsuna?" Nathan asked.

"What? Oh no, I've sensed nothing unusual from the Time Gates." said Setsuna.

"You seem to be a little distracted, Puu." said Chibi-Usa.

"Distracted?"

"She's still thinking about her date with Hallen last night." said Minako.

"How did you?"

"You forget." said Asai. "She's…"

"The Senshi of Love." Everyone else echoed.

"I don't think now is the time to be thinking about Romance." said Setsuna.

"I know finding out about an enemy during your date is a little disturbing." said Haruka. "But it must have had some good points."

Setsuna blushed. "I'd rather not say…"

"Let me guess." said Hotaru. "It involved something that has six legs scurries from the light." The outer senshi knew about Setsuna's fear of cockroaches better than anyone. Haruka found it funny; Michiru found them disgusting so it was almost always up to Hotaru to get rid of any that found their way into their apartment.

"Well, yes."

"Leave her alone." said Ami. "By now they probably abandoned their hideout at the Reception Hall, if they make their move it'll be soon."

Setsuna sighed as she sat down. People who betrayed the senshi of their homeworlds. It was rather inconceivable. 

"To think I spent my life dedicated to the queen of our solar system and these supposed senshi can't even show loyalty to the leader of their own planet," she sighed. Hotaru curled up next to her, a young lady with the mind of a precocious child. Somehow in the innocence that remained in her, she knew just what to say.

"Do you regret it?"

"Hmm?" Setsuna's mind had been so distracted, she barely noticed what thoughts she held in her mind and what thoughts she spoke aloud. "No, I don't regret it," she finally said. "Guarding the Time Gate was my solemn duty. I was proud to serve it out. And when our fight here is complete and I return to 30th century, I'll still be proud."

"You'll be lonely," Hotaru reminded her. Setsuna's head fell. It seemed Hotaru could be just as dispiriting as she could be encouraging. Without meaning to, Setsuna's thoughts slipped back to that time she spent guarding the gate. The outer senshi weren't always such a big secret during Silver Millennium. But as the relationship between the people of the moon and the people of the earth slowly began to degrade, the call for defensive forces became more and more pressing. Thus Queen Serenity effectively banished the outer senshi to their respective posts to keep watch over Silver Millennium from afar. Setsuna accepted this duty at a very young age, listening attentively as the Queen laid out the three taboos she should never break (incidentally by this point, she had probably about broken them all.) At first she excited and proud that such a huge honor was in her small hands. But isolation from society took its toll after while. All she saw of the people she left behind was through her garnet orb. So she learned how to be lonely, how to watch other people socializing from afar and consider it her socializing too. If she imagined herself with them, it wouldn't hurt quite so much. Her heart raced the first time she saw the king and queen. Quite literally, it had been the first time since Silver Millennium she had seen another human being face to face. And when Chibiusa began to first visit her, she enjoyed that very much. But in a way it also scared her. If these people left her, would the loneliness hurt all over again? Maybe that was why she always fought in such a self-sacrificing way. She would rather be the one who left than feel the loneliness of the survivors.

"I think you like him, Setsuna-mama," Hotaru said so completely and totally out of nowhere it nearly gave Setsuna a heart attack.

"Wh-what?" she managed to stutter.

"Hallen, of course," said Hotaru with a mischievous look to her eyes.

Setsuna shook her head. "You've been talking to Minako, haven't you?"

"She was the first to suggest it, but you give it away on your own, you know? When you're talking about the Silver Millennium, you seem sad and distant in a way. But when you're around him, that sadness goes away."

Setsuna thought for a moment. Perhaps in a way, it was true. Hallen was the first person she had socialized with that wasn't in charge of guarding some area of the galaxy. In other words, she could relax around him and forget her duties. But was that a good thing or would it ultimately lead to her being too distracted to fight? They were up against a new enemy after all.

"Tell Minako I think her suggestions are sweet," she said. "But I simply cannot involve myself now. There is too much to do."

Hotaru rolled her eyes. Setsuna's motives were noble enough, but they could easily lead into self-pity if they carried too far, and that was far more crippling in battle than any side romance. "There's always too much to do, Setsuna-mama!" she said. "You just stand there and take it and go with the flow. What would you ever do if Sailor Uranus or Sailor Moon weren't there to give orders?" Hotaru suddenly gasped, quickly covering her mouth.

"I'm sorry, Setsuna-mama, I didn't mean it like that," she said. Setsuna shook her head.

"No," she replied quietly. "Perhaps I need to hear things like that now and again."

* * *

That evening as she was preparing dinner and giving Michiru a break, Setsuna poured over Hotaru's comments a bit more. The little girl was feisty, she would give her that much. Of course she was obedient to Sailor Moon, the girl was their princess. And Uranus… well, Uranus just sort of took the lead role in the outer senshi by default. Who was going to argue with her?

"Doesn't mean I don't think for myself," Setsuna thought. Suddenly the ringing on the telephone interrupted her. Her hands still splattered with batter, she delicately lifted the phone up and balanced it between her shoulder and jaw.

"Hello?"

"Hello?" came Hallen's voice on the other line. She almost dropped the bowl of tempura she was working on.

"H-hallen," she said. "Listen, I'm sorry for what happened at the bowling alley..."

"Huh?" Hallen sounded horribly confused. "Why are you sorry? The guy who ruined everything came to see me, not you." He sounded embarrassed, and in all honesty, Setsuna couldn't blame him. If she had a friend-of-a-friend like Phil, she'd be embarrassed too. At least he didn't seem to remember her throwing a fit over the cockroach, so that was a good sign.

"Just wondering, did you want to go to dinner or something?" Hallen went on. "Just us, no extra guys. It would be my way of making it up to you." Here Setsuna giggled inwardly. She couldn't resist - this man was trying so hard to make up for the previous night she simply found it adorable.

"I think I could manage," she said. Decision made on her own. So there to Hotaru and Haruka. She and Hallen agreed they would meet at the restaurant down the street in half an hour, leaving just enough time for the tempura to cook and her to get out of the apron she was wearing and into something a little more fashionable.

"Where are you going?" Haruka wanted to know as she walked down the hall and saw Setsuna looking through her dresses.

"Out," Setsuna replied. "Hallen called at the last second. I'm sorry I won't be here, but you and Michiru and Hotaru can have the tempura for dinner."

"Michiru took Hotaru with her to the store," Haruka replied.

"Well then, you can have it," Setsuna replied. "You just put the shrimp and chicken into the deep flyer and wait until they're crispy and brown. Very easy. I'll see you later!"

With that, Setsuna rushed out the door, leaving Haruka standing alone in the kitchen with only one question:

"We have a deep fryer?"

* * *

After a rather interesting incident involving Haruka learning to put oil in the deep fryer before turning it on, she managed to prepare something that looked like it could have been chicken tempura, only extra crispy. Didn't matter, she liked it that way. For now, she sat reading the newspaper trying to get her mind off everything. Michiru and Hotaru were not back yet, and that was a bit unusual, but then again, perhaps they were getting some well-needed relaxation as well. At least until...

"Hello, there," said an eerie voice from the shadows. Haruka jolted up, but there was no one to be seen. Her fingers gently glazed over her transformation pen. She should call the others for help, but then again, she didn't want to worry them. Setsuna had enough on her mind as it was...

Haruka's body suddenly shuddered as she sensed a presence behind her. There was no doubt to be had this time, she needed to transform.

"Uranus Planet Power!"

As soon as her transformation was complete, Uranus turned around to see what looked like a Sailor Senshi dressed in bright green, accented by black stars on her chest and boots.

"And you are...?" Uranus asked suspiciously. The senshi smiled.

"Sailor Titanium Kerokero," she replied. "And in case you need clarification, yes, I am one of the Animates you and your friends have been seeking out. You've also called me Ribbita."

Upon confirming her enemy, Uranus went immediately on the defensive, positioning her fists in a fighting position, ready to make a grab for her Space Sword as need. Her opponent, however, did not seem to react at all.

"Are you sure you want to fight me?" Titanium Kerokero asked slyly. "You don't know what I'm capable of."

"Trust me," Uranus scoffed. "I highly doubt you're a threat." At this she reach up her hand to perform a World Shaking attack. But just as she went to gather the energy in her palm, her arm suddenly become locked in its upward position. Uranus struggled to move it, but her muscles were frozen. A glow of golden light formed around her wrists, keeping them rigid.

"What the...?" Uranus gasped out. She glared over at Kerokero who was thrusting out a diamond-shaped jewel. "What the heck is that?" Uranus asked.

"A retrieval gem. It harnesses whatever belongs to my master Orichalcum and sends it back to him. And you most definitely have something that belongs to him."

"And what might that be?" Uranus spat.

"Your star seed."

Uranus recoiled in shock at Titanium Kerokero's words, but she quickly regained herself. She couldn't lose her cool, especially in front of an enemy. She had to act imperturbable.

"Yeah, well, I don't mean to burst his bubble, but my star seed is mine, thank you very much," she scoffed.

"I beg to differ. You gave your Star Seed to Galaxia. And now that she has passed away, everything that belonged to her in turn now belongs to Orichalcum." She tightened her grip on the jewel, sending Uranus falling to the ground. The glowing restraints of light around her wrists began to tighten and her chest was aching. No, she could not fall here, she told herself. She had to get back to warn Pluto and the others. But the pain was increasing, and her vision was starting to blur. The next thing she knew, everything was black.

* * *

Uranus awoke she did not know how much later. The first thing that came into focus was a face, adorned with strands of aquamarine hair.

"Neptune!" Uranus jolted up a bit too soon as a twinge of pain shot through her body. She reached over to rouse her friend from her sleep and quickly gasped when she saw what was strapped on her wrist - Galaxia's bracelet.

"No!" she cried. Flashbacks of betrayal burned her mind.

"Uranus?" a weak voice asked. Apparently Uranus' outburst had awoken her companion, who looked around at the situation and gathered the missing information rather quickly.

"Our star seeds are gone?" Neptune asked sadly.

"I'm afraid so."

"But I don't understand. Galaxia returned our star seeds to us."

"Apparently not completely. When Chaos left her, the star seeds were restored to their proper forms."


End file.
